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ARTICLE I
Membership
SECTION 1: ELIGIBILITY. Full membership shall be open
to all persons eighteen years of age and older who are in good standing
with the American Kennel Club and the Bull Terrier Club of America and
who subscribed to purposes of this club. Full membership entitles the
member the right to vote and hold office. Household membership shall be
open to two adult members residing in the same household, each eligible
to vote and hold office. Junior Membership shall be open to all persons
under the age of eighteen. Junior members shall not have voting rights
and shall not be counted in determination of a quorum.
While membership is to be unrestricted as to residence, the Club's primary
purpose is to be representative of the breeding and exhibitors in its
immediate area.
SECTION 2: DUES. Membership dues will be set by the membership
at the annual (July) meeting. The dues will not exceed $25.00 per person.
During the month of April, the Treasurer will send to each member a statement
of their dues for the ensuing year. Dues shall be payable on or before
the last day of July of each year. No member may vote whose dues are not
paid for the current year.
SECTION 3: ELECTION TO MEMBERSHIP. Each application for membership
shall apply on a form as approved by the Board of Directors and which
shall provide that the applicant agrees to abide by the Constitution and
By-Laws and the rules of the American Kennel Club. The application shall
state the name and address of the applicant and it shall carry the endorsement
of one member in good standing. Accompanying the application, the prospective
member shall submit dues for payment for the current year.
All applications are to be filed with the Secretary and each application
is to be read at the first meeting of the Club following its receipt and
included in the minutes of the meeting. At the next month's meeting of
the Club, the application will be voted upon, and affirmative votes of
2/3 of members present and voting at that meeting shall be required to
elect the applicant to membership.
Applicants for membership who have been rejected by the Club may not re-apply
within six months after such rejection.
Memberships may be terminated:
A. By resignation. Any member in good standing may resign from the Club
upon written notice to the Secretary; but no member may resign when in
debt to the Club. Dues obligations are considered a debt to the Club and
they become incurred on the last day of July each year.
B. By lapsing. A membership will be considered as lapsed and automatically
terminated if such member's dues remain unpaid (30) days after the last
day of each July; however, the Board may grant an additional (30) days
of grace to such delinquent members in meritorious cases. In no case may
a person be entitled to vote at any Club meeting whose dues are unpaid
as of the date of that meeting.
C. By expulsion. A membership may be terminated by expulsion as provided
in Article VI of these By-Laws.
ARTICLE II
Meetings and Voting
SECTION 1: CLUB MEETINGS. Regularly scheduled meetings
of the Club will be held every month in the greater Houston area. Written
notice of such meetings shall be mailed to the membership by the Secretary
at least ten (10) days prior to the date of the meeting. A prominent announcement
in the Club newsletter may constitute such notice or the notice may be
sent by email, provided that the member or Board member has signed an
authorization agreeing to this method of communication. Such authorization,
which is revocable, will also release the club from any liability should
the notification be received late or not received by the member or board
member due to circumstances beyond the clubs control. The quorum for such
meetings shall be twenty (20) percent of the voting membership.
SECTION 2: SPECIAL CLUB MEETINGS. Special Club meetings
may be called by the President, or by a majority vote of the members of
the Board who are present and voting at any special or regular meeting
of the Board, and shall be called by the Secretary upon receipt of a petition
signed by five (5) voting members of the Club. Such special meetings shall
be held in the greater Houston area at such place, date and hour as may
be designated by the person or persons authorized herein to call such
meetings. Written notice of such meetings shall be mailed or emailed by
the Secretary at least five (5) days prior to the date of the meeting,
and said notice shall state the purpose of the meeting, and no other Club
business may be transacted thereat. The quorum for such a meeting shall
be twenty (20) percent of the members in good standing.
SECTION 3: BOARD MEETINGS. Meetings of the Board of Directors
shall be held every month at such time and place in the greater Houston
area as may be designated by the Board. Board Members will be notified
by the Secretary at least five (5) days prior to the date of the meeting.
A prominent announcement in the Club's newsletter or email may constitute
notice of such meeting. The quorum for Board meetings shall be the majority
of the Board.
SECTION 4: SPECIAL BOARD MEETINGS. Special meetings of
the Board may be called by the President; and shall be called by the Secretary
upon receipt of a written request signed by at least three members of
the Board. Such special meetings shall be held within the greater Houston
area at such place, date and hour as may be designated by the person authorized
herein to call such meeting. Written notice of such meeting shall be mailed
or emailed by the Secretary at least five prior to the date of the meeting.
Any such notice shall state the purpose of the meeting and no other business
shall be transacted thereat. The quorum for such a meeting shall be a
majority of the board.
SECTION 5: VOTING. Each member in good standing whose
dues are paid for the current year shall be entitled to one vote at any
meeting of the club at which he is present. Proxy voting will not be permitted
at any club meeting or election.
ARTICLE III
Directors and Officers
SECTION 1: BOARD OF DIRECTORS. The Board shall be comprised
of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and three other
persons, all of whom shall be members in good standing and all of whom
shall be elected for two-year terms at the Club's annual meeting as provided
in Article IV and shall serve until their successors are elected. General
management of the Club's affairs shall be entrusted to the Board of Directors.
SECTION 2: OFFICERS. The Club's officers, consisting
of the President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer shall serve
in their respective capacities both with regard to the Club and its meetings
and the Board and its meetings.
A. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Club and of the
Board, and shall have the duties and powers normally appurtenant to the
office of President in addition to those particularly specified in these
By-Laws.
B. The Vice President shall have the duties and exercise the powers of
President in case of the President's death, absence or incapacity.
C. The Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings of the Club and of
the Board and of all matters of which a record shall be ordered by the
Club. The Secretary shall have charge of the correspondence, notify members
of the meetings, notify new members of their election to membership, notify
officers and directors of their election to office, keep a roll of the
members of the Club with their addresses, and carry out such other duties
as are prescribed in these By-Laws.
D. The Treasurer shall collect and receive all moneys due or belonging
to the Club. He shall deposit the same in a bank designated by the Board,
in the name of the Club. The books shall at all times be open to inspection
of the Board and the Treasurer shall report to the Board at every meeting
the condition of the Club's finances and every item of receipt or payment
not before reported; and at the annual meeting he shall render an account
of all moneys received and expended during the previous fiscal year. The
Treasurer shall be bonded in such amount as the Board of Directors shall
determine.
SECTION 3: VACANCIES. Any vacancies occurring on the
Board or among the offices during the year may be filled until the next
annual election by a majority vote of all of the then members of the Board
at its first regular meeting following the creation of such vacancy, or
at a Special Board Meeting called for that purpose; except that a vacancy
in the office of President shall be filled automatically by the Vice President,
and the resulting vacancy in the office of Vice President shall be filled
by the Board.
ARTICLE IV
The Club Year, Annual Meeting, Elections
SECTION 1: CLUB YEAR. The Club's fiscal year shall begin
on the 1st day of July and end on the 30th day of June. The Club's official
year shall begin immediately at the conclusion of the election at the
annual meeting and shall continue through the election at the next annual
meeting.
SECTION 2: ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting shall be
held in the month of July at which time Officers and Directors for the
ensuing year shall be elected by secret written ballot from among those
nominated in accordance with Section 4 of this Article. They shall take
office immediately upon the conclusion of the election and each retiring
officer shall turn over to his successor in office all properties and
records relating to that office within thirty (30) days after election.
SECTION 3: ELECTIONS. The nominated candidate receiving
the greatest number of votes for each office shall be declared elected.
The nominated candidates for the other possessions on the Board who receive
the greatest number of votes for such positions shall be declared elected.
If no candidate for office receives a majority vote, a run-off will be
held immediately between the two candidates with the largest number of
votes. If the prescribed numbers of candidates for positions on the Board
have not received a majority vote, a run-off will be held immediately
between the two candidates with the next largest number of votes. In case
of ties, the tie shall be broken by a majority vote of the out-going Board
present and voting at such meeting
SECTION 4: NOMINATIONS. No person shall be a candidate
in a Club election who has not been nominated. During the month of April,
the Board shall select a Nominating Committee consisting of three members.
No member of the Nominating Committee shall be eligible for nomination
by such committee. The Secretary shall immediately notify the committeemen
of their selection. The Board shall name a Chairman for the Committee
and it shall be their duty to call a Committee meeting, which shall be
held on or before April 25th.
A. The Committee shall nominate one candidate for each office, and one
candidate for each of the other positions on the Board, and after securing
the consent of each person so nominated, shall immediately report their
nominations to the Secretary in writing.
B. Upon receipt of the Nominating Committee's report, the Secretary shall
by May 5th mail to each member a list of the candidate so nominated. The
Club newsletter may be considered as a proper vehicle for the announcement.
C. Additional nominations may be made at the May meeting by any member
in attendance provided that the person so nominated does not decline when
their name is proposed, and provided further that if the proposed candidate
is not in attendance at this meeting, their proposer shall present to
the Secretary a written statement for the proposed candidate signifying
their willingness to be a candidate. No person herein may be accepted
only by those members who have not accepted a nomination of the Nominating
Committee.
D. Nominations cannot be made at the annual meeting or in any manner other
than as provided in this Section, except in the event of a Special Election.
ARTICLE V
Committees
SECTION 1: The Board may each year appoint standing committees
to advance the work of the Club in such matters as specialty shows, obedience
trials, trophies, annual prizes, membership, and other fields which may
well be served by committees. Such committees shall always be subject
to the final authority of the Board. Special committees may also be appointed
by the Board to aid it on particular matters.
SECTION 2: Any committed appointment may be terminated
by a majority vote of the full membership of the Board upon written notice
to the appointee; and the Board may appoint successors to those persons
whose services have been terminated.
ARTICLE VI
Discipline
SECTION 1: AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB SUSPENSION. Any member
who is suspended from the privileges of The American Kennel Club automatically
shall be suspended from the privileges of this Club for a like period.
SECTION 2: CHARGES. Any member may prefer charges against
a member for alleged misconduct prejudicial to the best interests of the
Club or the breed. Written charges with specifications must be filed in
duplicate with the Secretary together with a deposit of $10.00, which
shall be forfeited if such charges are not sustained by the Board following
a hearing. The Secretary shall promptly send a copy of the charges to
each member of the Board or present them at a Board meeting, and the Board
shall first consider whether the actions alleged in the charges, if proven,
might constitute conduct prejudicial to the best interests of the Club
or breed. If the Board considers that the charges do not allege conduct
which would be prejudicial to the best interests of the Club or the breed,
it may refuse to entertain jurisdiction. If the Board entertains jurisdiction
of the charges, it shall fix a date of a hearing by the Board not less
than three weeks nor more than six weeks thereafter. The Secretary shall
promptly send one copy of the charges to the accused member by registered
mail together with a notice of the hearing and an assurance that the defendant
may personally appear in this own defense and bring witnesses if he wishes.
SECTION 3: BOARD HEARING. The Board shall have complete
authority to decide whether counsel may attend the hearing, but both complainant
and defendant shall be treated uniformly in that regard. Should the charges
be sustained, after hearing all the evidence and testimony presented by
complainant and defendant, the Board may by a majority vote of those present
suspend the defendant from all privileges of the Club for not more than
six months from the date of the hearing. And, if it deems that punishment
insufficient, it may also recommend to the membership that the penalty
be expulsion. In such case, suspension shall not restrict the defendant's
right to appear before his fellow members at the ensuing Club meeting
which considers the Board's recommendation. Immediately after the Board
has reached a decision, its findings shall be put in written form and
filed with the Secretary. The Secretary, in turn, shall notify each of
the parties of the Board's decision and penalty, if any.
SECTION 4: EXPULSION. Expulsion of a member from the
Club may be accomplished only at a meeting of the Club following a Board
hearing and upon the Board's recommendation as provided in Section 3 of
this Article. Such proceedings may occur at a regular or special meeting
of the Club to be held within sixty days, but not earlier than thirty
(30) days after the date of the Board's recommendation of expulsion. The
defendant shall have the privilege of appearing in his own behalf, though
no evidence shall be taken at this meeting. The President shall read the
charges and the
Board's findings and recommendations, and shall invite the defendant,
if present, to speak in his own behalf if he wishes. The members shall
then vote by secret written ballot on the proposed expulsion. A 2/3 vote
of those present and voting at the meeting shall be necessary for expulsion.
If expulsion is not so voted, the Board's suspension shall stand.
ARTICLE VII
Amendments
SECTION 1: Amendments to the constitution and by-laws
may be proposed by the Board of Directions or by written petition addressed
to the Secretary signed by twenty (20) percent of the membership in good
standing. Amendment proposed by such petition shall be promptly considered
by the Board of Directions and must be submitted to the members in good
standing with recommendations of the Board by the Secretary for a vote
within three (3) months of the date when the petition was received by
the Secretary.
SECTION 2: The constitution and by-laws may be amended
by a 2/3 vote of members present and voting at any regular or special
meeting called for the purpose, provided the proposed amendments have
been included in the notice of the meeting and mailed to each member at
least two weeks prior to the date of the meeting.
ARTICLE VIII
Dissolution
SECTION 1: DISSOLUTION. The Club may be dissolved at
any time by the written consent of not less than 2/3 of the members. In
the event of the dissolution of the Club whether voluntary or involuntary
or by operation of law, none of the property the Club nor any proceeds
thereof nor any assets of the Club shall be distributed to any members
of the Club, but after payments of the debts of the Club, its property
and assets shall be given to a charitable organization for the benefit
of dogs, selected by the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE IX
Order of Business
SECTION 1: At meetings of the Club, the order of business,
so far as the character and nature of the meeting may permit, shall be
as follows:
Roll Call
Minutes of Last Meeting
Report of the President
Report of the Secretary
Report of the Treasurer
Reports of the Committees
Election of the Officers and Board (at annual meeting)
Election of New Members
Unfinished Business
New Business
Adjournment
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SECTION 2: At meetings of the Board, the order of business,
unless otherwise directed by majority vote of those present, shall be
as follows:
Reading of Minutes of Last Meeting
Report of the Secretary
Report of the Treasurer
Reports of the Committees
Unfinished Business
New Business
Adjournment
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ARTICLE X
Parliamentary Authority
SECTION 1. The rules contained in the current edition
of “Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised,” shall govern
the club in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are
not inconsistent with these bylaws and any other special rules of order
the club may adopt.
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